Miniature racing apparatus



July 25, 1950 H. v. HALL 2,516,315

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July 25, 1950 H. v. HALL 2,516,315

MINIATURE RACING APPARATUS 73 20 rib Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES MINIATURE RACING APPARATUS Horatio V. Hall, Beverly, Mass.

Application August 30, 1947, Serial No. 771,404

This invention consists in a novel game apparatus wherein is simulated a race between a plurality of contestants and in which the outcome of. the race is determined solely by chance without any external control.

An important feature of this invention consists in mechanism for advancing the contestants individually by successive and progressive steps, in combination with control mechanism by which the operation of such advancing mechanism is varied by chance so that the outcome of the race is unpredictable.

Another important feature of the invention consists in the employment of an assortment of balls for fortuitously controlling the length of the individual steps imparted to the various contestants or horses. As herein shown, mechanism is provided for maintaining a continuous circulation of the balls in the apparatus in paths which includes a series of stations in which a moving element of the advancing mechanism is arrested and shortened in its stroke if a ball happens to reach the station with which it is related. The path may also include a pin board or a tilting tray or both that impart to each individual ball an erratic and unpredictable course so that it will arrive entirely at random in one or another of the arresting stations. Such an arrangement permits the use of balls of uniform diameter with good results, although it is contemplated that balls of various diameters may be employed if preferred.

'As herein shown the balls are held for a short interval in their arresting stations and another feature of the invention comprises mechanism acting periodically to clear all the stations of balls that may currently occupy them.

The whole apparatus is so designed that it may be operated from a single motor, and it is believed that never heretofore in apparatus of this class have a series of levers been oscillated with variable stroke, in combination with power operated mechanism for circulating an assortment of balls, all actuated by a single motor,

Other novel features of the invention consist in a tote board having electrical means for indicating the order of horses at the finish of the race, and a starting gate having mechanism for aligning the horses at the starting line and simultaneously releasing them.

These. and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a game apparatus embodying this invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevationof such apparatus,

9 Claims. (Cl. 273-86) Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of suchap paratus with the upper plate or track removed,

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one detail of the driving means,

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a portion of the control mechanism which acts upon the driving means,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a detail of such control mechanism, 1

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional View of an other detail of such mechanism,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the general location of the tote board to the track,

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views illustrating the electrical connections to the tote board,

Fig. 11 is a plan view of starting and stopping mechanism contained in the starting gate, and

Fig. 12 is a view in elevation of the startin gate showing the action of the stopping mechanism.

The embodiment selected to illustrate this invention comprises an oval race track having a plurality of lanes indicated by concentric slots, and a plurality of contestants in the form of horses, one horse traveling in each lane. Mounted below and in register with each lane is an endless cable upon which the horse for that lane is supported. Each cable is engaged intermittently to advance the horse supported thereby through a plurality of steps at a predetermined rate of speed. Since the lanes vary in length from the inner lane, which is the shortest, to the outer lane, which is the longest, the length of the steps each horse is advanced varies correspondingly so that the horses will remainin line as they are advanced. Consequently, in or; der that there be set up a race between the horses, a chance control mechanism is provided bywhich the normal or usual length of the basic step is reduced, Such mechanism operates by chance without external control to limit the advance of the horses so that the outcome of any race cannot at any time be predicted in advance but is due solely to chance.

The game apparatus illustrated in the drawings as one embodiment of this invention comprises a horizontal plate or track I0 supported upon a base I I by a plurality of posts 12 mounted on cross straps l3 suitably secured to the base H. The track 10 includes a starting gate [4 and a plurality of slotted lanes [5 along which horses l6 are caused to travel. A plurality of endless close-wound wire cables I! are supported at opposite ends of the apparatus upon pulleys l8 freely rotatable on vertical posts I9 mounted on the base II. Each cable travels in a horizontal plane in register with a lane, such lanes being vertically spaced as shown in Fig. 2. Each horse is carried by a support 20 which is fixed upon a 3 cable and extends upwardly through a slotted lane, the supports varying in length so that the horses appear to ride along the horizontal plane of the track-.1 |l--(se.e.:Fig.--2)

The horses :are advanced along the lanes over the track by means of feed levers 2| which are supported at the lower ends upon a cross rod 22 and oscillated by eccentrics 25 on a transverse shaft 23 driven by a motor 24 through a worm gear train. The eccentric straps 2B are -.connected to the levers through rods 21. The rods 21 pass freely through holes inthe upper ends of the levers and terminate in heads. A'sleeve 28 on each rod is held by-ia spring 29 surrounding the rod, yieldably in contact withits lever 2|,.the

leversbein'g normally-held between .the sleeves the "right-(Fig. 1), "they grip and advance the cables, and when the levers are swungto'tthefleft they slidefreelypver the cables. Thus the studs and dogs act a one direction clutches to advance ithebables and the horses intermittently through *a"se'ries"o'f steps-ata uniform rate of speed. In-

asmuch as the lanes areconcentricin a common planethey'varyjn length and therefore primary stops such as adjustable set screws 32 .are provided to vary the throws of the feed leverszl so that the length of 'the steps imparted to the horse "along theinnerlane is the shortest, and thatimparted to the horse along the outer lane is.the.longest. The spring 29 provides a lost motion connection between each actuating eccentricJZE and its lever 21 .so. that the lever may .stop in whatever position it meets with positive obstruction. .The setscrews 32 are threaded into a transverse .bar, one set screw for each lever.

"However, since the horses all travelat the same rate of speed, the result would be a tie race if no chance control mechanism were provided. The control mechanism of this apparatus comprises arplurality of secondary stops for the levers which act.lto..reduce the lengths of the steps through which thelhorses travel. .The stops are normally inoperative and means are provided by which one secondary stop is caused to. become operativeat random ateach reciprocation-of the levers. The particular secondarystop to become operativeis selected entirelyby chance withoutthe possibility of any external control whatsoever, so thatit is impossible topredeterm-ine. or ,predict the. horses that will be retardedorthenumber.of times such retardation wil1.occur. .Thesecondary stops .of the illustrated embodiment consist of rockers 36- 37 .carried:by .a cross shaft 3.4.,supported .upon standards 35 mounted upon'the base .Each rocker has .a horizontal.armi36 terminating ina cupor receiver,.a-nd a verticalarm 31. The shaft 34 is continuously urged toturn in a counterclockwise direction by belt connections with the main shaft 23 through a. stud shaft .38 supported by the standards .35. While, as willappear hereinbelow, the rockers are movable .aboutthe shaft, the rotation of .that shaft normally. holds thev rockers in theposition shown in .Fig; 5, with the arms.3'|.resting .against a cross ro'd"39 also carriedby the standards .35.

'..The rockers-are arranged inalignment with the levers Hand-when actuated .to swing the arms '3'! into. the horizontal position,.as.shown indotted lines 'in Fig.6, those arms will check the travel of 4 the corresponding levers 2| before they reach the set screws 32 and thus shorten the current step of the corresponding cables H and horses I6. Thus it .will appear that the rocker :are normally in the inoperative position but are movable into operative position. This movement of the rockters is caused by the weight of a marble or ball 4|] resting upon the cup of the horizontal arm 36.

The balls 40 are uniform in dimension and are fed upon .an inclined and oscillating tray 4| hinged at one side upon a standard 42 carried by the base The .tray is oscillated by an eccentric'roll 43 mounted upon a shaft 44 driven by a belt from a pulley on the shaft 38. From the tray 4| the balls roll onto an inclined stationary pin plate '45 provided with a series of pins 46 so locatedthat the balls as they roll down the "plate tdwillstrike certain at least of the pins lfiand take a random course. At the lower edge of-the plate 45 is mounted a cross-bar -41 having-an inclined "upper surface carrying a pluralityof chutes 48which terminate beyond the lower edge of the-bar over the ends of the arm 36'of the rockers. Thechutes- 48 are separated by convex 'surfaces-so'that a ball-when it rides over the upper surface of the cross bar will roll into one or other of the chutes 48 and drop ontothearm I36 .of the rocker below it and swing the'rocker into :the operativeposition, as shown indotted lines in :Fig. 6,-=whereby"thetravel ofthe corresponding lever 2| is stopped before it reache its primary stop 3 2.

"The cross bar 41 is'supported upon arms .49 pivoted'at their lower ends upon the cross rod22. supported by the arms 49 below the .cross bar is a cross rodiSB carrying at one end. a roll '51 which rests against an eccentric cam52 mounted on'the stud shaft 38. When the cross bar '41 is swung away ,from'the rocker members by the *cam52, the ball, which hasrendered oneof the rockers operative, is free to. drop into an inclined ;pan"53'down which it rolls into an opening 54 in a 'crosstube55. The tube 55 is inclined transversely and guides'the balls, one by one, into "a vertical tube 156 in which .is reciprocating a plunger '51. The plunger 57 is raised intermit- .tently by an eccentric cam 58 on a shaftfiil'driven by chain-and sprocket connections from the stud shaft 38. A roller '69 is carried by'the plunger and rests" by-gravity upon the cam .58. A spring actuated detent 51 in'the tube 55 prevents the ball raisedby theplungerfil from returning with the plunger (see Fig. '7). As each ball reaches thetop ofthe tube 56 it enters an inclined tube .62byiwhich'it is fedtoithe inclined tray "4 l I From the above description it will'be noted that upon each reciprocationof the levers2| by the cross shaft 23 and-the eccentrics thereon, a ball 40 isfed'onto the tray 4| and travels in apath determined'solely by chance into one or other of the chutes 48 and trips a rocker so that upon the next oscillation of the levers 2|, the throw of one of the levers is cut short thus-reducing therdistance that one of the horses is advanced in that step. The variables' oy which the travel of thatball affected -obviously 'make the tides- "tination ofany ball unpredictable.

.-A.-tote board. likethatshown in Fig. 2 may v be mounted :in anyhonvenient location abovethe track, but I prefer to employuan-electrically operated board of the character shown in Fig. 8 which displays the horse numbers 1 to 8 with-a small=electriclampladjacent toeach number.

Aligned beneath the finish line is aser iesaof spaced spring contacts 64. carried by a cross bar 66 and insulated from it. Each support 20 for a horse carries a metal roll 61 which acts as a circuit closer when introduced between the two contacts 64, 65. The contacts are connected respectively by a circuit indicated in dash lines 68 to the individual lamps of the tote board. Accordingly, when the first horse reaches the finish line its number is immediately lighted on the tote board and the finish of the other horses is correspondingly indicated.

The starting gate [4 contains stopping mechanism for arresting all the horses at a predetermined starting line as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. To this end a rack is arranged to slide in the starting gate in mesh with pinions H, each fast on the upper end of a vertical shaft 12 mounted in the starting gate and extending downwardly adjacent to the operatnig cables 11. Each shaft carries at its lower end an arm '13 which, in the full line position of Figs. 11 and 12, stands in the path of the supports 20 and operates to arrest the horse carried thereby and to cause the operating lever 21 to slip on its cable instead of advancing it.

The rack 10 is connected at one end through a link 14 to a bell crank lever 15. This, in turn, is connected to and operated by a plunger 16 having an intermediate spring section and a starting button 11 at its upper end. The plunger also carries an arm 19 which is arranged to close a switch 18 in the motor circuit when the button 11 is depressed. Movement of the rack 10 toward the left which takes place when the bottom I1 is depressed swings the stop arm 13 away from the supports 20 and into inoperative position, releasing all the horses. At the same time the switch 78 is tripped and the race started. The plunger 76 operates through a dash pot 80 which delays the return of the arms 13 to normal position until all the horses have advanced safely beyond the gate.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A racing apparatus including a plurality of horses movable along parallel lanes, a cable connected to each horse, a lever having a one-way clutch connection with each cable, power operated means for imparting oscillation to each lever, rockers positioned in line with each lever and movable to impede the throw thereof, and means for circulating a collection of balls of uniform size in paths bringing single balls at random into contact with one or another of the rockers, whereby the rocker is swung into an arresting position with respect to the lever.

2. A racing apparatus including a plurality of horses movable along slotted lanes, a cable guided at a fixed level beneath each lane, each cable having connection with one of said horses, a lever having a one-way clutch connection with each cable, means for oscillating the lever in a yielding manner, a rocker in line with each lever and rotatable to a position arresting the same, a collection of balls of uniform size, and means including a rocking tray and an inclined pin plate for successively directing a ball at random into position to swing one of the rockers into arresting position with respect to its corresponding lever.

3. In a game apparatus, a plurality of horses movable along a race track having a corresponding number of lanes, each horse traveling in its own lane, a cable below each lane to which a horse is secured, a lever associated with each cable and provided with clutch mechanism which operates to engage the cable and advance the horse when the lever is moved in one direction, means for oscillating all said levers simultaneously, stops in the paths of the levers which limit the travel of the levers to a predetermined basic distance for each lever, secondary stops which prevent the travel of the levers to such basic distances, said secondary stops being normally inoperative and mounted for movement into the paths of the levers, and control mechanism by which said secondary stops are rendered operative.

4. A racing apparatus comprising a plurality of horses movable along parallel lanes, mechanism for imparting successive advancing steps to the horses, and means cooperating therewith for fortuitously varying the length of said steps including a feed lever corresponding to each horse, a rocker in line with each lever, an assortment of balls, a plate for directing the balls to the rockers for holding them in arresting position with respect to the corresponding lever, and means for periodically clearing all the rockers of contact with the balls.

5. A racing apparatus of the character described in claim 4, in which a pivoted frame is located opposite to the rockers and presents a surface between which and the rockers a ball may be engaged.

6. A racing apparatus of the character described in claim 4, in which means is provided for releasing one ball from arresting position each time an advancing step is imparted to the horses.

7. A racing apparatus of the character described in claim 4, in which the clearing means is operated each time an advancing step is imparted to the horses.

8. A racing apparatus of the character described in claim 4, in which frictional means is provided tending at all times to return the rockers to a predetermined initial position.

9. A miniature racing apparatus of the character described in claim 4, in which a eries of arms are rovided for movement into and out of the paths of the horses in their respective lines, together with a starting button to which all of said arms are operatively connected.

HORATIO V. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 659,555 Shuster Oct. 9, 1900 1,370,479 Pester et a1 Mar. 1, 1921 1,374,844 Flatow Apr. 12, 1921 1,510,995 Lockyer Oct. 7, 1924 1,707,859 Johnson Apr. 2, 1929 1,822,873 Brewer Sept. 15, 1931 1,889,531 Geddes Nov. 29, 1932 1,907,249 Lamb May 2, 1933 1,970,069 Whitlock Aug. 14, 1934 1,977,894 Robin Oct. 23, 1934 2,077,464 Crowther et a1 Apr. 20, 1937 2,098,410 Williams Nov. 9, 1937 2,098,809 Musser Nov. 9, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 442,284 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1936 479,770 Great Bnitain Feb. 10, 1938 

